Feeler mechanism for looms



` A. R'. DILLABER. FEELER MECHANISM FOR LQOMS. vAPPLICATION FILEDocr'|1,'|919.

' Patented June 20, 1922.

Invent-vor:

lo VSE UNITED-.STATES PATENT oFFIcE. I

LvIN E'. 'DILIABER 0E cRosvENoE DALE, CONNECTICUT, AssIGNoE To DEAPERConroRATIoN,oEIIoPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CoEPoEATIoN or MAINE.

To all whom t may concern:

"Be it known that, I, ALVINv R. DILLABER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Grosvenor Dale, county of vWindham and Stateof Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Feeler Mechanism forLooms, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on thedrawings representing like parts.

`This invention relates to feeler mechanisms for looms, and moreparticularly to feeler mechanisms of the' type shown, described andclaimed in the patent granted to Edward S. Stimpson, No. 1,309,226,dated July s, 1919.

In the feeler mechanism of the patent to which reference has been made,the feeler is supported to enter the shuttle on each detecting beat in a.direction inclined to the ylongitudinal axis ofthe shuttle, or inclinedto the path of'lay movement, and is held from movement lengthwise alongthe lillingcarrier or bobbin by the filling or weft when a workingsupply is present in the shuttle, and is moved longitudinally along thefilling carrier or bobbin by the frontward pressure when the filling orweft is substantially exhausted. In the feeler mechanism of theS-timpson patent the feeler extended rearwardly through a controllerwhich was connected to a train of mechanism for effectng replenishmentof lling when the feeler moved the controller laterally, ldue to themovement of the tip of the feeler along the lilling carrier or bobbin,and a spring was employed to move the feeler into its rear or feelingposition as the lay retreated. The present'invention is a furtherdevelopment of the character of feeler mechanism disclosed by theStimpson patent and hasfor one of its objects to dispense with theconnection between the controller and the latch of the patent, and alsoto provide means of a simple and readily accessible character forreturning the feeler to its normal feeling position as the spring.

returns the feeler rearwardly after a detectingbeat.

The linvention will best be understood from the following description inconnection with the accompanying drawing, which shows a good practicalembodiment of the present invention.

EEELEEMECHANISM Eon Looms.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 20, 1922.l I lApplication inea october 11, 1919. serial No. 329,974.

.the present invention associated therewith;

Flg. 2 1s a plan view, parts being shown in section, and illustratingthe action of the parts when the filling or weft is substan- -tiallyexhausted;

Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3 3 of Fig. l, showing moreparticularly the controller.

'The loom frame 1 is provi-ded with brackets 2 in which is mountedthetransverse or rock shaft 3 having an arme extending upwardlytherefrom, to which is connected the latch y5, the rear end 6 of whichis adapted to engage at. times with an operating member 7 which may bethe cam follower or a part connected thereto', as usual in this type ofloom. t

i IThe loom frame has extending therefrom the bracket 8 on which isadjustably secured the feeler stand 9. The feeler stand 9 supports thefeeler and in the present instance it is provided with a flange 10 inwhich is formed a slot l1 throughwhich passes the bolt 12 for adjustablysecuring t'he feeler stand or feeler support 9 in desired adjustedposition.

The feeler 13 is mounted on the feeler stand or Support to enter theshuttle 14 on wall of the shuttle when the latter is in the detectingbox.

The feeler stand or support 9, at its rear portion, is provided with agui'deway' for receiving the controllerwhich is mounted inI the guidewayfor movement laterally by the feeler, as' will more fully appear. In thepresent instance of the invention, the feeler stand or support 9 has itstop wall'lS provided with a guidewayl9 and. its underwall 2O lprovidedwith a guideway 21 in which is mounted the controller 22. The

controller 22 may be moved laterally in the guideway of the support orstand 9 and is provided with a slot 23 through which passes the feeler13, the construction being such that. when a working supply of fillingis present in the shuttle on a detecting beat, the feeler 13 will notcause lateral movement of the controller, but when -the filling issubstantially exhausted on a detecting beat and the feeler moveslongitudinally of the lling carrier or shuttle under the frontwardpressure or push, then the controller 22 is moved laterally.

The controller 22 has an inclined end portion 24, Fig. 3, which isadapted to engage a transmitter 25, which, in the present instance ofthe invention, has a toe portion or projection 26 over which theinclined end 24 of the controller may ride when the controller is movedlaterally by the feeler upon indication of substantial exhaustion offilling. The controller 25 is pivotally mounted at 27 on a support 28rising from the loom frame or bracket 8, and its end 29 extends.

under the latch 5, the construction being such that if the transmitter25 'is actuated by theinclined end 24 of the controller when it is movedlaterally by the feeler, the latch 5 will be placed in the path ofmovement of the operating member 7 and filling replenish'- ment will beinitiated or effected.

' In the S'timpson patent to which reference has been made, thecontroller was positively connected to a train of mechanism foreffecting replenishment of filling, but in the present instance thecontroller is not connected to the train of mechanism but the inclinedend portion 24 is related to such mechanism so that by lateral movementof the controller the inclined end portion of the controller rides overand depresses the end of the transmitter or an element con-y nected tothe train of mechanism and initiates replenishment of filling.

The rea;` end portion of the stand or support 9 is slotted as at 30 topermit lateral movement of the feeler, and a stop 31 serves to limit thelateral movement of the feeler in the slot.

The lateral movement of the controller by the feeler as hereinbeforedescribed, is effected in a direction inclined tothe longitudinal axisof the shuttle or path of lay movement, so that the inclined end 24 ofthe controller rides over the end or toe 26 of the transmitter andeffects movement thereof to set in action the train of mechanism forinitiating replenishment o f filling.

A spring 32, preferably placed within the feeler stand 9 and surroundingthe feeler 13, has one end bearing against the front wall' 33 of thefeeler stand and its other end against a pin or shoulder 34 secured tothe feeler, the construction beingsuch that the spring 32 normally holdsthe feeler in its rearward position land serves tomove it backwardlyafter a detecting beat.

. The feeler 13 passes through a front bear-yV feeler 13 to move towardsand from thev front ofthe 'loom and also to swing laterally. The feeler13 has its front end portion threaded at 36 and limiting or stop nuts 37are adjustably mounted on the outer end 36 of the feeler to limit itsrearward movement under the impulse of the spring32. 'In lorder that thefeeler may be moved laterally, to the left, as the spring 32 returns itto rearward position after an indication of substantial exhaustion offilling, the present invention provides the shoulder 38 on the frontportion of the stand or support 9 against 4which the face of one of thenuts 37, or a washer 39, is caused to bear under the impulse of thespring 32, as the feeler returns to its rearward position. Thisfunctional action of the shoulder 38 will be best appreciated from Fig.2, wherein 'the feeler is shown as havingl moved laterally or lengthwisealong the filling carrier, the filling being substantially exhausted.kAs the feeler, Fig. 2, moves rearwardly, the washer 39, in thepresentinstance, will engage the shoulder 38 of the feeler stand andcause the feeler to be moved or swung laterally to the left into properfeeling position.

The feeler 13 has a toothed end portionv l40 which, on each detectingbeat, meets a surface `within the shuttle. When a working supply offilling is present, the toothed end portion 40 of the feeler sinks intothe filling and prevents movement of the end of the feeler lengthwisealong the filling carrierias the lay beats up. When, however,

the filling is 'substantially exhausted on a detecting beat and there isnot sufficient, filling in the shuttle to prevent movement of thetoothed end 40 along the filling carrier, the end 40 of the, feeler willmove laterally along the surface of the filling carrier under thefrontward pressure thereof and cause the controller to be movedlaterally in its path inclined to the longitudinal axis of the shuttleand thereby effect replenishment of filling.

Claims:Y

1. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler standhaving front and rear guides, an inclined feeler that is supported bythe guides for movement towards and from the front of the loom and in adirectionlongitudinally of the shuttle when on a detecting beat thefilling fails to hold the feeler from sliding along the surface of thefilling carrier, means operable by the movement of the feelerlongitudinally shoulder adjacent the front guide and having a surfaceinclined to the filling replenishing position of the feeler, and a stoprigid with the front portion of the feeler and adapted to engage saidinclined surface and impart av swinging movement to the feeler as itmoves rearwardly.

2. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler standhaving front and rear guides, an inclined eeler that is supported by theguides for movement 'towards and from the front of the loom and in adirection longitudinally ofy the shuttle when on a detecting beat thefilling fails to hold the feeler from sliding along the surface of thefilling carrier, means operable by the movement-of the feelerlongitudinally of the shuttle to eect replenishment of lilling, springmeans for moving the feeler rearwardly; and'means for returning thefeeler to its normal feeling position from the lilling replenishingposition, including a stop rigid with the front portion of the feeler,and a front shoulder upon the front guide adapted to be engaged by saidstop and to impart a swinging movement to the feeler as it movesrearwardly.

3. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the

combination of a feeler stand, inclined feeler, a slide having aninclined end and voperable by the feeler as it moves longitudifeeler asit is displaced longitudinally of the shuttle when the filling issubstantially exhausted on a detecting beat, a train of mechanism`including a transmitter having a part for engagement with the inclinedend of the slide for efecting replenishment ofvilling whenthe slide islaterally displaced by the feeler, and interengaging means on the feelerand stand for returning the feeler and slide to initial position afterthey have been displaced laterally.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specication.

l ALVIN R. DILLABER.

